Another contest
Jamie is always finding good contests. I know she could use this for homeschooling, but I would love to use it too!
Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!
This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.
To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!
Oh the irony
So I was off and running yesterday on my first day back. I had dropped off Daniel at daycare, my coffee was poured, and the house was quiet. I already had a task that needed to be completed ASAP (as no one really did my job while I was gone). I had everything I needed opened and ready. Since I had done about 3 hours of work while on leave I greatly reduced the amount of time needed to retrieve data. I had just downloaded the last file, I turned my head from the computer for a second and when I looked back the screen was BLACK. I did all the tricks I now to get it back and running again before I called the dreaded help desk......but I eventually had to call. I was quickly escalated to the next service level.
So this morning after dropping off Daniel at daycare, Matthew and I made a trip to the big central office. I have actually never been in this building before. I work for a big well known company, and its main local office is close to my house. However I work at a client location (the headquarters actually for a big well known company) so I never had a reason to be in the building I am technically located out of. It was a little weird walking into a building I have never been in, but being an employee there....all while carrying an infant. I felt out of place, but I did technically belong.
They said they would take a look and see if anything can be done before having to order a new unit. The good news is that the hard drive is fine, and well their is no real bad news. Its just so ironic that the day I start back to "work" is when my computer decides to go kaput.
1 day remaining
Tomorrow is my last day of leave. I can't believe it is already over. It has been really fun this time around. I was really prepared for this horrible experience when you add a second. The looks and comments I would get from others before Matthew was born "oh just wait until your second one comes along"
Now I will admit there is more to juggle with two and it is harder to get out of the house. But oh my gosh is it more fun. It does help that Daniel has adjusted really well and he helps out with Matthew. Also Matthew is a great baby. I figured it would be easier, but seriously....this baby is way to easy compared to Daniel (sorry Daniel sweetie, but you were so fussy, you are so much more fun now). All in all it has been really fun, it only would have been better if the weather was better and I could have gotten out more.
I have Daniel set up with a daycare around the block and I will be working from home for now. Well that is what my plan is, my boss hasn't said no yet LOL. We are switching realtors yet again, however we are also lowering the price dramatically (thanks to builder we are working with) so maybe......just maybe we will get an offer soon. I don't think anyone realizes how excited we would be to even get an offer for $1,OOO......SERIOUSLY....if someone gave us a written offer for $1,000 I would PEE my pants! I don't think it would be accepted...but my pants would be wet. Anyway my point is that hopefully we will be moving soon and things will continue to improve in our lives.
Oh, in an effort to eat out less I went to one of those
prep your own meal places with going back to work full time and having to keep the house immaculate it gets hard to always make a meal at home. This place makes it so much easier to plan meals and keep your kitchen "show" ready. The way it works is, you chose a set of meals before you go in. When you get there everything is already prepped and you just follow the directions for freezing. Then when you are done you take it all home. Then when you are ready for one of the meals just follow the cooking instructions. Everything is fresh, no processed foods.
I already have prepped 3 meals and tired 1. The one we had was fantastic, and the prep at the store was easy. It took less than an hour to prep the 3 meals (and I was taking it really slow), to make the meal it took less than 20 minutes, and that included clean up! I could do this all at home, however it just makes it so much easier when someone has done all the chopping and planing for you. Plus it was really relaxing to get out of the house and prep meals you know are going to be healthy for your family.
The boy makes my heart melt
I tell Daniel I love you all the time waiting for the day he says it back. Last night I was going out with friends and Chad was collecting the boys to go to Papa and
Baba's house so his mom could help him shop for a computer. I said "Daniel I love you!" and then I heard it... "
lub vue" and my heart melted. I had to get him to repeat it several times today for Chad to finally hear it too. Now I just need to catch it on video.
Oh and yes Chad and his mom were the ones who picked out the new computer. She is very knowledgeable about computers and although I work for a large computer company I really have nothing to contribute. I have to say they made a great choice, and it is so nice to blog with the full use of a space bar! Additional thanks to Uncle Sam for depositing the tax refund to allow for this purchase:-)
Some good news
Its always nice to hear good news, and I got some yesterday. During
sesame street yesterday I got a phone call from my boss. When I saw the caller ID I thought he would have questions about running reports or some such boring stuff....but no he was actually calling to let me know I was getting a bonus for last year. Our year end bonuses are rewarded in March and we weren't expecting anything. However not only did we get one, it is a pretty decent amount.
This is a first for me. Its not that I have worked especially hard this year compared to any other year. No if anything the last month of the year I took a lot of days off (I had to use them or loose them) and well I was REALLY pregnant and less motivated to go the extra mile. So it wasn't like after 10 years in the workforce I was suddenly a good employee. Actually this is the first place that I worked that actually gives yearly bonuses. In addition to working at yearly bonus-less companies previously I had the knack of finding jobs that within a month of hiring a memo would be sent out talking about pay freezes and elimination fo raises.....one place everyone who wasn't laid off got a 10% pay cut. This is why I am not the best one to complain to when you
only got a 3% pay increase. The same has been true with Chad. We'll just say the working wold has been truly
disappointing for us
So I have
heard of this concept of a year end bonus.....I just thought they were urban legends. Makes me think that a merit raise may not be akin to
el chupacabra.Yippee!
